A Father’s Journey Toward Understanding Autistic Ezra

Parenting can often feel like a tightrope between what you hoped for and what is. For Max, the father at the heart of Ezra (2023), this balancing act takes him to a deeper level as he struggles to connect with his autistic son. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, the film focuses on a father whose love for his son is undeniable but whose approach is shaped by his own fears, expectations, and insecurities.

Max wants to be a good dad—better than his father was to him. He wants to teach Ezra, protect him, and, most of all, feel close to him. But the reality of raising a neurodivergent child challenges Max in ways he doesn’t anticipate. What begins as frustration and self-doubt eventually becomes a journey of acceptance, where Max learns to meet Ezra where he is rather than forcing him into a world that doesn’t fit.